GoFundMe Set Up For Family Of Rockville Man Injured During Hiking Trip

ROCKVILLE, MD — A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $25,000 for the family of a Rockville man who was injured last month during a hiking accident in Virginia.

Paul Loebach was pursing his life-long dream of hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail, when he was found at approximately 7:35 a.m., on Aug. 5, suffering from severe head trauma and major injuries.

"It was several hours before he was found by a park ranger on his way to work at Shenandoah National Park," said Karen Leighton, who organized the GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Loebach's family.

The money is being used to help defray the travel, lodging and other expenses family members are facing while Loebach receives medical treatment at UVA Medical Center Charlottesville.

Leighton and Loebach are life-long friends and his wife Pam was her best friend in junior high school.

"They were high school sweethearts," Leighton said. "They've been together over 30 years. Paul is like a blessing. He's the guy who is truly loved and he's so well-known in the community and not just in the Rockville area."

A graduate of Rockville High School and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Paul Loebach has been a federal employee for more than 30 years and serves as the director of the FDA's drug registration and listing staff.

Leighton launched the GoFundMe campaign with an original goal of $15,000.

"Within 22 hours, we had met the goal," she said. "Then I upped it to $20,000 and I just stopped. It was being shared throughout the community."

Many of the groups in the Rockville area that Paul Loebach has worked or volunteered with over the years, including the FDA, Rockville High School, Grace Episcopal Church in Silver Spring, and Rockville Musical Theatre, have provided overwhelming support, according to Leighton.

While the details of Paul Loebach's accident remain unclean, Leighton described him as an experienced hiker who wasn't reckless.

"This was a lifelong dream to go on this adventure and to camp throughout the Appalachian Trail," she said. "It just turned tragic."

More information about how to donate to the Support and Love for Paul Loebach GoFundMe campaign is available online.